Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to network based computer interaction and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing a dynamic execution environment in network communication between a client and server.
Description of the Related Art
The ubiquitous nature of computer network access has ushered in a new age of interactivity. More and more applications are moving to a client/server model, where a local device contains a client for far more complex software executing on a remote system. As such, interface technology is advancing quickly to accommodate this paradigm shift.
However, such interfaces are typically static and tightly coupled to the specific application for which they are designed. It is typically not possible to customize or modify such an interface unless the application provides specific tools to do so. As such, data for these user interfaces is generally transported between the client and the server in some fixed format. Common formats for such data transmission include open standards such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and proprietary formats as in business management suites such as SAP.
The client software typically interprets the data and renders the screen accordingly. User interface fields are displayed and navigation of the user interface is limited to what is provided by the server. However, in many situations it is desirable to make modifications to the user interface, such as for usability, personal preference, or to cater to different types of viewing devices. Such modifications necessitate changing both the layout and screen logic as experienced by the user, without modification of the client or server. Known solutions to the problem of altering the data flow between the client and the server involve complicated programming.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus to implement a dynamic execution environment in network communication between a client and server such that data between a client and server are intercepted and modified on the fly and sent to its destination seamlessly.